


Chasing Nightmares

by Naemi



Category: Black Hawk Down (2001) RPF
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-01-29
Packaged: 2017-11-28 18:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/677670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naemi/pseuds/Naemi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You had a bad dream and you're still caught in it. And that's all.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chasing Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Moit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moit/gifts).



 

“Josh?” Orlando's voice was a mere whisper, sounding strangely distorted through the phone. “Something's here with me.”

“You had a bad dream,” Josh replied with a yawn. He was tired as hell, and he was not in the mood for silly jokes at—he glanced at the clock—four in the morning. “Go back to sleep.”

“No. Something's here with me.”

“What do you mean, some _thing_? Can you see dead people now?”

“This isn't funny, and I'm not kidding. I felt it. Something touched me, and it breathed down on me, right into my face, and I really, really—”

“Easy, baby. Easy. There is nothing. You had a nightmare.”

“No,” Orlando said again, and the anxiety in his voice was shadowed by insistence. “I can hear it in the corridor. I hear its footsteps.”

“You—what?” All of a sudden, Josh was wide awake, alarmed by the realization that someone–certainly not some _thing_ , for _somethings_ simply didn't exist—might have broken into Orlando's apartment, and that there was a real threat. “An intruder? Are you sure?”

“That's what I'm telling you!”

“I'm calling the cops.”

“It's not a fucking _person_ , goddammit! I … I can hear it breathing. It's standing right in front of my door, and I can hear it. I know it's there, and I'm _terrified_!”

“Baby.” Josh rubbed his tired eyes, incapable of understanding, indecisive of how to react. “I can't follow you. What is going on over there?”

“I really don't know.”

“Where are Sidi and Iggy?”

“Right here with me.”

“What are they doing?”

“Sleeping.”

There was a short silence that ended in a long-drawn sigh as Josh inferred there was no danger to life and limb. “Okay,” he said, “try to breathe. Everything is okay. The dogs would—”

“You're not listening, are you?”

“Orlando, you're panicking. You had a bad dream and you're still caught in it. And that's all.”

“If I say that something is here with me then something _is_ here with me!” Orlando suddenly yelled so loud that Josh almost dropped the phone. “And if I'm fucking panicking let me fucking panic! I expect you to, to …”

“Orlando. Breathe. Please, just try to breathe.”

“I can't. I'm scared.”

“I promise you: there is nothing. You are safe.”

Orlando gave a weak whimper in reply.

“You are safe. I'd never lie to you; you know that. Right?”

“Yes.”

“Yes. And do you trust me?”

“I do.”

“Then I want you to close your eyes and take a very deep breath.”

“If I close my eyes now, it will come back and hurt me.”

“It won't. I promise.”

Again, Orlando whimpered. “Why can't you just be here with me?” he asked in a very teary voice.

“Baby, I'm in fucking Detroit.”

“Please?”

Josh sighed. “I'm taking the first flight I can get. Will you be okay until then?”

“Don't leave me alone. Keep talking to me.”

And Josh did, all the way to the airport and until he eventually _had_ to hang up and board his plane. He by no means knew how to explain this sudden getaway to his director and producers, but there was no way he couldn’t go, even if he was just chasing nightmares.

Josh looked out of the window, into the light-speckled darkness of this February morning, and smiled at the thought that at least he was going to spend Valentine's Day with the man he loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Implies _Parts Per Billion_ being shot a couple of months later. Or earlier. Your choice. Meh.
> 
> Prompt: Orlando is having a panic attack, and his boyfriend needs to talk him down.  Maybe you could weave V-Day in there somewhere, too?
> 
> Beta'd by the wonderful **Moit** , who also made sure that all characters were returned unharmed.
> 
> [Visit my LJ-community [Bunny Bash](http://bunnybash.livejournal.com) to leave me a prompt at any time.]
> 
> [Feedback is love.]


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